In a statement on Tuesday, Keiji Fukuda, World Health Organization acting assistant director-general and an American influenza expert, said that due to the nature of the flu virus, it is quite difficult to predict how the new strain of swine flu will manifest. However, Fukuda told reporters that, "It is entirely possible ... that we may see a very mild pandemic."

All over the world, countries are exploring strategies for preventing the spread of the disease, including closing schools, canceling flights to and from Mexico, and slaughtering all the pigs in Egypt. In Mexico, most public facilities are closed and people are wearing masks on the street. Health officials say that humans cannot be infected by eating pork products. Doctors do not yet know why human-to-human transmission of the disease is happening so rapidly. There is currently no vaccine for the virus, and U.S. officials estimate that it will be a few months before they can successfully develop and begin testing one.

The first U.S. death from swine flu has occurred in Texas; the boy who died was a Mexican toddler who had come to America for treatment. Federal officials are predicting more deaths from the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, 91 people were infected in the U.S. The largest number of cases is in New York; additional cases have been reported in several other states, including California, Texas, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

Although it does not specifically advise on the swine flu pandemic, the findingDulcinea Cold and Flu Web Guide can help you treat and prevent various types of the influenza virus.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses. Human infections are unusual, but do happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs. However, it is possible for swine flu viruses to spread from human to human, and have done so in the current outbreak. According to the CDC, swine flu symptoms include "fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea." In Mexico, where this current pandemic appears to have originated, other reported symptoms include eye pain, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue, leading to severe respiratory distress.

Swine flu first became well-known to Americans in 1976 after an outbreak among 500 soldiers, one of whom died, at Fort Dix, N.J. Later that year, the federal government implemented a vaccination program against swine flu. The vaccine caused serious complications in hundreds of people, and was halted after a few months.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides general information about swine flu and how it spreads, and offers a daily update of the current outbreak of swine flu in the U.S. The CDC also has a safe travel page to help people determine the vaccinations they will need when they go to various places, and assess the disease risk in the country they are visiting.